Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
T Bryonia nigra. 
-j Blacke Bryonie. 
s /, 
S71 
berries, fomwhat bigger than thofe of the fma II 
Raifons,orRibes, which wee call Currans, or 
fmall Raifins. The root is very great and thick, 
oftentimes as bigge as a mans legge, blackilh 
without, and verie clammie or Ihmie within ■ 
which being but feraped with a knife,or any ci- 
ther thing fit for that purpole,it feemeth to be 
amatterfittofpread vpon cloth or leather in 
manner ofa plaifter or Seare-cloth : which be- 
ing fo fpread and vfed, it ferueth ro lay vpoh 
many infirmities , and vnto verie excellent 
purpofes, as lhall bee declared in the proper 
place. * 
2 Thewilde Blacke Bryonie relefnbleth 
the former, as well in flender Vinie ftalkes as 
leaues ; hitt clafping tendrels hath it none, ne- 
tiertheleflle by reafon of the infinite branches, 
and the tendernefle of the lame, it taketh hold 
of thole things that ftand next vnrb it, al- 
though eafie to bee loofed , contrarie vnto 
the other of his kinde. The berries heereof are 
blacke of colour when they be ripe. The root 
alfo is blacke without, and with in ofa pale yel- 
low colour like box, p This which is here 
deferibed is the Bryonia nigra Dodimsm ■ 
Biic Bauhine calleth ic Bryonia K^ilba . and 
faith it differeth from the common white 
Bryonie, onely in that the root is ofa yellow- 
ifh boxe colour on the in.'de,and the fruit or 
berries are blacke when as riley come to ripe- 
neffe. 
Bryonianigra fiorens non frttflum forms. 
.3 This is altogether like the firft deferibed. in roots,branches,and leauesionely the foot-ftalks 
w i.ereon the noures grow arc about eight or nine inches long : the floures are fomething greater, 
h.ming neither beforeor after their flouring any berries or (hew thereof- but the floures and foot- 
flaiks do foone wither and fall away : this I haue heretofore, and now this Sommer, 16 2 1, diligent- 
ly obferued , becaule it hath? not bcene mentioned or obferued by any that I know, lohn 
Goodyer. p . 1 
1 
i 
I' 
The Place. 
The firft of thefe plants doth grow in hedges and bufhes almoft euery where. 
. The lecond groweth in He(fia,Saxonie, VVeftphalia,Pomerland,and Mi fnia.where white Bryo- 
nie doth not grow,as Valerius Cor das hath written, who faith that it grovyes vnder Ha fell- trees, nee re 
vnto a citie of Germanic called Argentine, or Strawsborough. 
The Tinic. 
They ipring in March, bring forth their floures in May, and their ripe fruitin September. 
^ The Names. 
Blacke Bjyonie is called in Greeke^*i\«t.'>si'«.in Latine, Bryonia nigra : and Vitis Jy/ucf ris, or wilde 
Vine . notwith (landing it doth not a little differ from Labrufcap r Vius Vinefera fyluefiris , that is to 
fay/rom the wilde vine, whichbringethforrhwine,whichis likewifecalled Ampelos agria Why 
both thefewere called by one mxae,Pliny was the caufe, who could not fufficiently expound them 
in his 23. booke, firft chapter j but confounded them, and made them allone,in which errour are al- 
io the Arabians. 
. This wilde Vine alio is called in L a t i n e , 7\i w 3 a n d the fruit thereof Vita T ami ni a. Pliny nameth 
it alfo Salicaftr'um . Buellius faith that in certaine (hops it is called Sigi/lum B. Maria-, it is alfo called 
Cydaminus aliera but not properly: in Englifh, Blacke Bryonie, wilde Vine, and our Ladies-feale. 
«y The Temperature. 
The roots of the wild V ine are hot and drie in the third degree : the fruit is of like temperature, 
but yet nor fo forceable : both ofthemfeoure and wafte away. 
D d d d 7 The 
